Star Fox: Lylat Has Fallen
by Jack64
Summary: Venom has been broken and defeated, but now Lylat lies in shambles. An outside force has shattered Cornerias back and assumed stewardship over the devastated world. At the center of it all; Star Fox must decide what their course of action is. Do they fight for the freedom of all Lylatians and risk mass starvation? Or, do they fight to survive and save as many lives as possible?
1. Chapter 1

**x-x-x-x**

Chapter 1

The sound of heavy combat boots filled the air with their thump on the marble flooring of Cornerias Parliament house. The halls were empty save for five individuals as they made their way deep towards the floor of where Conerian politicians once met to settle matters of state. Now however, the halls were silent as no press were allowed in, nor was there a single messenger, just four souls marching in formation with a fifth in the center under heavy guard. Each soldier carried with them a small pulse laser carbine that was held across their chest while marching lock step in motion with each other. The troopers were garbed in full urban camouflage carapace armor, entire bodies concealed so as to not give away their identities. Their helmets purposefully left with enough space and vague shape so as to prevent their species from being discerned.

The fifth individual was none other than Fox McCloud. The tod was clad in his usual attire, red ascot, green shirt and pants with grey boots and a white open jacket. Step by step they approached the hall until finally they rounded a corner and came before two massive oaken doors, both large portals parted of their own accord as the group moved forward.

There wasn't much that surprised Fox anymore, but he expected another court hearing and for shouting to fill the once hallowed halls of law once more. But instead, there were only three individuals compared to the wall to wall hearings he'd dealt with over the past couple of weeks. Of those present he only recognized two people immediately, and the third he had never seen before. All three souls sat behind a well polished mahogany desk with stacks of papers lain out in front.

To the right was General John Pepper, clad in his red officers uniform, cap and all. The former leader of the now defunct CDF sat with his paws steepled and looking haggard. The old warhound had seen better days, but each time Fox saw him the dog just seemed to degrade further and further. The generals blue eyes lacked their authority of command he once exuded upon the field, his overall demeanor was one of anxiety and defeat. Though his ears were always sort of floppy, they now looked fit to fall flat to the floor and with his long droopy face; the once proud leader of the CDF looked broken. To Fox, it was a sad sight.

Off to the Generals right was a man he had seen time and time again, both someone Fox respected and understood better than he liked to admit; but also an individual he would like to see removed.

Lord Admiral Abrecan of the Cerinian Remnant Flotilla, supreme commander of the fleet that now stood as Cornerias only shield against the dregs of Lylat. The male was much like himself, a vulpine. The differences were that he was covered in midnight blue fur from head to toe with blazing royal purple hues that stared out from his skull as the two locked gazes. Broad of shoulder and commanding in presence, he was the exact opposite of the beaten down dog to his left. Whenever Fox and the admiral met; it always became a test of will between them. Both males stared at one another in a contest to see who would back down first. To each of their credit neither vulpine blinked in any of their meetings. The officer was bedecked in a two piece uniform, much like his fur but a lighter shade of blue with gold trimmings that ran from his belt line in a gentle outward going diagonal slant before coming to a corner and arching inwards to a single focal point that ended at his neck cuff. That very same neck had two brilliant flawless sapphires pinned to it, denoting his status. On either shoulder were two black boards with five golden stars and a singular focal point that displayed a distinctly vulpine shaped head with a sword being gripped in its jaws. The second part of his uniform was a simple pair of azure pants paired with black boots that were cuffed at the top.

The third and final individual of which he had never seen at one of these meetings, was a vixen. Blue of fur around the head but with white over the main parts of her face and the most fierce aquamarine glare Fox had ever seen. Long shoulder length hair that was done up professionally to keep appearances but bore a long silver streak from above her forehead and seemed to run all the way to the back. She was not as built as her counterpart but bore an athletic build which was nudging towards a matronly shape that no doubt came on naturally from age. Her uniform was similar to that of the Admirals, but the major difference was a red cuff on her sleeves above two white bands and a three silver wavy bars on her neck cuff. A Colonel.

The admiral stood as the guards parted in a formation that would give them staggered lines of fire should Fox try anything.

"Welcome back Captain McCloud, please, have a seat." The admirals voice was rich with his foreign accent, a trademark among Cerinians; but his was born of high society and upbringing. Fox didn't really care for it all that much. In his mind he was staring at an enemy, one that had taken his adoptive homeworld and usurped power.

"You know I never was officially part of the Cornerian Military, so drop the rank." He groused.

"Of course, I merely use the title since you commanded a wing of fighters and a dreadnought. My Apologies."

 _Why does he always have to be so damn polite. Everyone else always yells and shouts at me from these damned meetings yet he's always civil._

Fox was suddenly grateful he had learned how to keep them barred out of his mind. Few people could as it took exceptionally strong will to keep a Cerinian out, even more so if they really wanted in your head. By focusing his thoughts and patterns into a wall esque structure, he could keep the Cerinians at bay for some time. It was a mentally taxing exercise that took its toll after lengthy periods.

The tod grunted in reply and made it clear he was less than enthused about being in the hot seat once again.

Abrecan did not enjoy the mass hearings they tried to hold on Fox, the political bureaucrats were trying to find every Lylatian that had ties to the old government and throw them under the proverbial bus. Fox had links to Pepper and close ones at that, so of course the vengeance hungry idiots sought any connection they could find.

It was an unjust and shameful display of Cerinian understanding, or rather, a lack thereof. It made his life hell as he desperately tried to keep the peace between Cerinian and Cornerian. While easy most of the time, whenever one of the political class opened their mouth it forced the security portion into damage control.

 _Which is why we need him…_ Referring to the tod across from himself. _With Fox on our side, people might calm down a bit, the Hero of Lylat trying to keep the peace and keep everyone safe just as he did before would give us breathing space. I just have to undo a few months of damage inflicted by the politicians. I should have done this sooner, because from the way he's looking at me… this is not going to be easy._

"Fo-"

"So what is it this time? Did I eat a baby? Kill orphans? Butcher an entire system I never set foot in?" Came the sarcastic tone from the perturbed vulpine.

The absurdity made Abrecan want to burst into laughter, mostly because some of those things were what the idiots tried to charge him with. After a calming mantra chanted within his mind the leader of Cerinias fleet and security forces settled back into his role.

"No, no, Fox. Nothing of that nature, this is a much different meeting from the rest; to be honest, I should have done this sooner."

A raised eyebrow was the response, ears cupped forward and whiskers twitching.

"Explain." Spoke Fox, his tone curt and to the point.

"The three of us, and only the three of us, not counting your escort; are here to discuss a matter of mutual benefit. One that I think you will find palatable, and one I hope that you will accept given the circumstances." Abrecan did not let desperation slip into his voice, but an observant man would notice the small ticks within his ears or whiskers. Not everything was as it seemed.

"Mutual benefit?" Fox sneered. "You come into my system, destroy what's left of the Cornerian Fle-"

"Who need I remind you shot first… Captain." Rebutted the admiral.

The tod winced at that, that much was true. Some chicken shit gunnery officer had gotten jumpy and caused the mess they were in. What could have been a mutual relationship between two peoples that were victimized by Andross turned into a clusterfuck of epic proportions.

"As much as I really hate the truth of that… Alright, let's hear it."

"Colonel Sylvara. If you would?"

"Thank you, Sir." Came the vixens reply. A smart looking device opened up into a panel with a holo-keyboard before her. The small item projected a hologram over it in the shape of a globe and it was plainly obvious what planet they were looking at due to the continental structure.

"Captain McCloud, we have brought you here because Corneria as it has for the past few years, faces destruction; not from any enemy without or within, but from something far more insidious and slow. Starvation."

Numbers began to pop up and almost all the sectors that were highlighted by the map were black in color, almost like dried blood. There was only one sector that stood out and it was a faint yellow. "These sectors I am highlighting are the main agricultural hubs from Corneria post war… I take it you have noticed the colorations yes?"

The tod nodded, he wasn't sure of the color coding they were using, but he reasoned he was soon to find out.

"Black, means useless, their output is below one percent, if any output at all. Red, is nearly useless, not even breaking ten percent. The faint yellow sector is less than twenty-five percent, and with the agricultural areas barely outputting anything from the thorough bombardment Andross gave this world… you can see where this is going."

Fox didn't like those numbers, not at all. The tod having crunched his fair share when having to pay for Star Fox's expenses, he had learned quickly how to do percentiles and the like. The orange vulpine knew things were bad, but had been slowly improving over the last year, or so the government had said. Fox's face scrunched together as the numbers and what Pepper had been telling everyone didn't add up. Fox's acute mind was working over the data presented and it led him only to one conclusion; something stank.

"The lack of output and rate of consumption here on Corneria… Pepper, sir, you told the populace and me that things were slowly improving on the food front. If these numbers are real, Corneria will starve in less than a year."

In response to Fox's observation the dog shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I… yes, well… we may have embellished things slightly to keep the peace, we needed the population to have hope so they didn't riot or-"

"Or find out the truth for themselves," interrupted Abrecan. "This is no time for politics or gentle lies Pepper." The tod said scornfully and returned his attention to Fox. "I will be honest with you Fox, your people and mine both face doom. But, this is the greatest chance either of us have at surviving this mess. We plan to resume the raids that were discontinued due to the lack of a real fleet. Which is where you come in."

The orange vulpine gently rolled his palm, gesturing for the admiral to continue.

"We have a job offer for you, a contract. You take up flying again, for Cerinia and Corneria and protecting our ships, stations and outposts where you can. Performing raids deeper into the system than anyone else has before. There are old military bases and outposts we saw that appeared to be unspoiled as we came through."

"Which means materials and possibly food stores."

"Precisely." It was Sylvara who spoke up this time. "It will buy us precious time to get crops growing again, repair the soil from Andross's use of chemical and biological agents."

"Why me though, you have an entire fleet and squadrons at your command."

Abrecan gripped the chair lightly, the next words to pass his lips were clearly loathed.

"We don't have enough manpower to do both, raids to Katina, Fortuna and Fichina are fine, anything deeper and we risk over extension and using up too many supplies."

"Then what makes you think I could do it with a single dreadnought that need I remind you Admiral Abrecan, is in disrepair and I would have to see if my team would be willing to do this job. Assuming I even accept, I'm damn good, but I can't do anything if I don't have my mobile base or my team backing me up."

"We've already thought of that." Replied the cobalt vixen. "Miss Fara Phoenix is convinced you will accept the job and has taken up total refit and repairs on a massive… I think you call it an I.O.U. From us of course, not you. Both the Great Fox and your vehicles are being repaired as we speak."

The orange vulpine frowned. "That's an awful big assumption considering you've occupied Corneria and you're trusting the only arms producer left who has a mass assembly line."

"Indeed it is, which is why we're prepared to sweeten the deal with one caveat, mostly something that will appease the bureaucrats so they don't blow a gasket and think you're running around "Unsupervised." Finger quotes and all and even with a disdainful childish voice. It had long been obvious to everyone that the political arm of the Cerinian government and their Military did not get along. What had spurred that division was a mystery they weren't exactly forthcoming about.

"I don't like the sound of this…"

"And I am sure you will like it even less, or you just might, depends on your viewpoint really. That being said, you will have full autonomy just as you did before, the contract is there to ensure you will be paid as we Cerinians honor our deals in full. It's also there to make sure you don't stick a knife in our back, not that we think you would, but again, it's there to keep the politicians happy."

"And the caveat?"

"We will be placing one of our own on your team, a skilled pilot and potent psionic. My own daughter in fact, so, as I think the slang is, I have some "skin" in the game."

"And we just went from zero to nepotism in seconds."

"What you call Nepotism, we call making sure the job gets done. If that's nepotism, then sure. I put her up for this because she's one of our best, and to be honest, you would not want one of the political class choosing the liaison. They would likely give you some snitch of a weasel who would tell on you for everything little thing you did that wasn't approved by them. Which creates headaches and mounds of paperwork."

Both Fox and Abrecan winced at the mere thought of paperwork, finding it immensely distasteful.

Fox ran his left palm over the mop of cream colored fur atop his head and looked to the General, seeking any kind of encouragement, some sort of direction or advice. Fox couldn't see it or smell it, but his instincts told him something was wrong, there was something just beneath the surface eating at Pepper.

 _But what?_

However, Fox's pondering was interrupted when Pepper seemed to realize he was part of the conversation.

"Personally, Fox, and I know this is to my own detriment but I would say no, if I were you."

To further Fox's surprise, neither vulpine lashed out at Pepper nor did they chastise him, if anything the looks on their faces said they expected as much.

"The reason why I say that Fox, is because no matter which way you slice it, they're conquerors, either by accident or on purpose doesn't matter. They've saved Corneria for a time with the food and materials they've brought with them, but when things start getting better people will start wanting control back from an alien power. You'll have to decide which side you're on when the time comes."

Abrecan snorted derisively at that. "That's rich, coming from you General."

The dog shifted his to his right and gazed at the vulpine through narrow slits. "It's the truth." He stated firmly.

"Amazing how you suddenly find the truth when it comes to Fox, except about what became of his homeworld or his own father."

It was in that moment the room fell into such a state of silence, that a pin could be heard dropping a mile away if one fell.

Fox looked to Abrecan and wanted to yell at the man who dared to bring up both his fallen homeworld and deceased father. What stopped him though was Peppers face, the dogs eyes went wide as if some sort of ghost had come to haunt him. Whatever had been eating at the canine had finally come to the surface.

"T-That's classified information!" Pepper stuttered.

"The cry of a tyrant." Abrecan growled as he turned to Fox, the irony not lost on his choice of words.

"If the good of Lylat will not convince you, then perhaps you would like to know how far the corruption in your own government ran before we arrived Fox. But be warned, once this door is opened, it cannot be closed."

Fox McCloud wanted to say it was a bluff, something to garner sympathy. However, it was Peppers reactions that were fueling his curiosity. The fact that the General was trying to hide something from him made Fox wary. He knew the need for government secrets and classified documents; but his reaction over Papetoon? Fox could feel it in his gut that there was something big here, something that Pepper wanted to remain buried.

Both azure vulpines saw the look upon Fox's features and nodded their heads to one another. Sylvara gently picked up a stack of papers laid out before her and brought them around to Fox, the vixen laid them out in front of him but there was one at the very top of the pile that stood out.

His rich hues trailed over the header at the thickest pile that read out:

 **Wildfire Procedures: Papetoon Campaign**

The title alone made Fox shove the paper away; he'd heard rumors in the past that Corneria had such documents and operations in case of situations just like Papetoon. He chose not to believe them and in his ignorance may have very well damned millions of souls under Cornerias jurisdiction. The weight of such a thought came crashing down upon his shoulders and caused his gazed to turn to Pepper in desperation.

"Tell me you didn't. Tell me that this is just all a ruse Pepper, they're trying to get me to turn my back on Corneria and you."

Pepper hung his head in shame, his paws gripping the mahogany table firmly, claws gently scraping against it. He could not bring himself to look Fox in the face. "I had to," Came the hollow whisper of a defeated soldier.

"The plague was out of control, containment was breached, there was no hope of wrangling it back in and the risk to the rest of the system was too great. It was that or unleash that abomination on everyone else… we glassed Papetoon so that the rest of the system would not be infected."

"Bullshit!" Fox shouted and bolted up, sending the chair flying backwards and clattering to the floor. All four guards drew their carbines, ready to fire if he tried anything. "Don't lie to me Pepper, we would never do something like that! We're better than that! All our technology and-"

"Didn't count for anything… we fooled ourselves, we believed that we were superior to Andross due to our morals, when the plague ripped through Papetoon, our beliefs didn't mean a damn thing Fox. It took everyone, rich and poor, sick or healthy, the young, and the old. It turned them into monsters that went after their friends and families. We couldn't let it spread."

Fox's world was crashing around him, everything he fought for; the things that Corneria sacrificed millions of lives for!

"What about the colonies?! You said they were lost to Venom!"

"We abandoned them because we couldn't hold them, not enough resources or manpower. We left them to fend for themselves so we could save Corneria."

Fox's teeth were bared as his breathing became heavy, head held low as he pressed his palms flat to the table before his head whipped up with eyes in a clear frenzy.

"You son of a bitch!" He bellowed forth. "We sacrificed millions of lives to stop Andross, the meat grinder that the war became wore on for almost a full decade! And you're telling me it was still all for nothing? My home?!" Then it all clicked together, what Abrecan had said; And what happened to his father.

"He was on Papetoon wasn't he Pepper…?"

No answer.

"Wasn't he?!" Fox demanded once more.

As Pepper didn't want to answer judging from how much he was cowering into his chair and trying to appear small, Abrecan took it upon himself.

"Unfortunately Fox, your father was on Papetoon, we poured over documents and various reports to confirm it after we found out some of the less than friendly projects and operations Corneria had undertaken. At the time of Wildfire being declared, the entire planet was subject to precision orbital bombardment, population centers, medical facilities, even known underground complexes were hit with high powered energy lances. They left nothing standing."

Fox felt the wind behind his indignation fall flat. "Everything I fought for… everyone that died for Corneria and the other planets. All for nothing." He muttered. "Papetoon was destroyed by our own government and you bastards framed it up like Venom did it! To garner more support for the war effort. I remember the damn holonet broadcast."

Abrecan and Sylvara both watched on as Fox's mind began to crumble; his defenses weakened and had they desired to influence him, it would have been a cinch. However, manipulating him and delivering him a purpose would suffice.

 _I hate this, Sylvara, to manipulate such a resolute warrior._

 _I know Lord Abrecan, but what other choice do we have? His mind was closed to us before, now, he is questioning everything which gives both Cerinians and Cornerians a chance to survive. It's a long shot, but I have faith."_

 _Gods forgive me…_

Abrecan stood up and looked to his guards, gesturing for them to stand down who hesitantly obeyed.

"Fox, it wasn't all for nothing, you still have a chance, here and now to make a difference where it matters most. Yes, everything has gone seven shades of shit and sideways. Due to the lack of competent leadership, your system… our home, now stands on the precipice of death. So many other systems that Andross touched did not get this chance. If you are willing, together, we may just survive this ordeal and both our people can prosper once again. I am asking… nay, I am pleading with you Fox, take up your wings again and fly not just for us, but for Corneria and all the citizens in Lylat who still yet live. There is a future for everyone but that window is closing, will you let it slip by when you could make all the difference?"

The words seemed to resonate within the Lylatian vulpine, he looked down, body shaking with rage before he went docile. The tod slowed his breathing into a gentle rhythm only to stand up and stared Abrecan dead in the eye. His eyes full of resolution and determination, there was power in the young man and his purple eyed counterpart could see it.

"You have your pilot, but any of this bullshit from you, and I will blast your fleet straight to hell before you can even blink, and that's a promise, not a threat. Don't make me regret this choice."

The powerful nature of the tods voice was clear, he would not tolerate wholesale genocide or treachery. It made Abercan have a very sudden second thought, only to be quashed by the need for survival. "Very well, we will have the paperwork signed and readied for you. Sylvara will send the dossier on your liaison over to your personal net address so you can review and make yourself ready."

"What's her name?"

"My daughters name is Krystal, Captain McCloud, and once you have spoken with Miss Phoenix and your team, I will see to it that an appointment is made for you two to meet and hopefully come to an agreement. But be warned, she can be just as bull headed as you." The vixen said with a smirk.

"Great, just what I need, another Falco." Fox said with a roll of his eyes and sighed. So much had been revealed and unloaded on him in the span of less than an hour. It was a lot to process in such a short time.

"Go and rest Fox, it's clear your mind is taxed from all this, not to mention the emotional roller coaster you must be on right now. Rest, eat, and then start fresh tomorrow. There's work to be done by all of us if we're going to survive."

"I guess… for what it's worth, thank you for telling me the truth about my father, I swallowed the government bullshit for years, I just didn't expect the truth to come about like this." He muttered dejectedly.

"It's a shame such a thing had to come to light like this, Fox. But I think you have a better understanding of what you're fighting for now, not the government, not the Cerinians, but the people."

Fox couldn't disagree with that, in his heart that's all he ever fought for; so no other child would ever have to grow up without their parents, or a loved one losing a family member to the horrors of war and madness. He took a deep breath and with one final look to Pepper before he departed. The guards did not escort him this time as he was a free man, the tod and his team had been under house arrest for months. They had been keeping a close eye on him and the team since the exchange of power, no flights, no missions; just sitting on his ass and waiting for when they came for him.

All in all, despite the horrors that had been revealed there was a silver lining. He would get to fly again, and what's more, he'd get to help protect and feed Corneria in the process. Fox wasn't an idiot though, the tod knew he was being manipulated, they didn't reveal that kind of information out of the kindness of their heart… and he'd fallen into it. Mentally he chastised himself for falling for such a blatant ruse, but at the same time his mind kept coming back to all the innocents who died during the war. Even if the Cerinians were a greater evil compared to Cornerias older government… they did face a common foe in starving to death. Like it or not, there wasn't much of a choice in front of him and while his decision had been rash and at the height of his emotional anger, there had been rationality behind it.

 _I can make a difference… we can make a difference, but life is going to be hell for everyone for the next few years, and man; the team is gonna flip a lid when they find out this Krystal girl is being pushed on our team for political reasons, even more so that I accepted._

It was during his reverie that Fox realized he had arrived street side and was heading towards home. He lived in a small apartment complex in what remained of the downtown area, nothing too great; a small affordance by the Cerinians for the team to rest and await their ultimate fate. As he was the leader; the final decision lay with him.

 _Explaining it to them is going to cause some shouting, that's for sure. Maybe making a nice big dinner for everyone will help smooth things over slightly. It'll eat into my rations for this month for sure, but with us flying again I can salvage more._

Overhead the skies were grim and overshadowed the fallen city with a portent of rain. Such a thing in the past would have been bothersome, but in the current age rain was a godsend for the people of the city without fresh water and those who were outside the city desperately trying to grow crops from poor soil.

 _C'mon, give us rain, we need it._

For now, his silent plea went unanswered during the long slow walk back to the apartment where his team awaited. The responsibility he shouldered now coupled with how some of his team would no doubt react weighed greatly upon him. Each step fell like lead, both Cornerians and Cerinians passed by him, but it was the Cerinians who would look him in the eye, they could see his troubles and they knew who he was. He had fought against them and yet no malice was laid bare. Just curiosity, a wonder of what his future held and where his loyalties would ultimately come to lie. For each of them were soldiers, survivors, scroungers; their homeworld destroyed by Andross while Corneria languished on its deathbed.

It was his fellow Cornerians that pained him the most; how they would look upon him with a mixture a hatred and fear, he had failed them in the defense of the system when it really mattered. Fox couldn't find it in himself to blame them as so many of them were broken spirits. They had fought for so long and desperately; sons and fathers, daughters and mothers all sacrificed to the war machine to bring an end to Andross's machinations. Only to push themselves to the utter breaking point and unable to resist an external threat from beyond Lylat's borders. There were some who hailed the Cerinians as saviors, for with them they had brought much needed food, medical supplies and various machines along with technology that may very well save the croplands of Corneria and allow her to prosper once more. It would take time however.

Time that was not on their side.

For thirty long minutes, Fox trudged his way through the streets of Cornerias once proud capitol city; ruined buildings and large craters dotted the landscape, some bore deep into the earth and fell into abyssal darkness. These were surrounded by signs to stay away from the edges so no one fell in. Once proud skyscrapers now lay in ruins shattered and broken upon the ground or collapsed in on themselves from the weight of air strikes and orbital bombardment. All of it was a silent reminder of just how close to death they all were. Even with victory they had not escaped the specter that clenched the sword which threatened to cut off Cornerias head.

It was not long before Fox stood in front of the main door to the apartment complex and slipped his keycard through the slot to let himself through. There were a distinct lack of guards this time around, probably because they got the message Star Fox was in business again and sanctioned.

 _Small Miracles._

In he went and headed directly for the elevator, the small box ascended through the metal tube and took him up to his floor. It was a simple building, brick and mortar, one of the few structures that remained intact after the strikes and reconstruction efforts. With a single chime he arrived at the top floor and turned left, the foxes own two feet carried him down the hall to his home. The others were stationed all around on the top floor, but they'd know he was home soon enough. A twist of the key and knob, and he was in.

Now all there was to do was wait; and that's precisely what he did as he sat on his black recliner. It would only be a matter of time before his team arrived. The silence only broken by the sound of thunder as rain began to fall and patter off the glass windows in long wet streaks.


	2. Chapter 2

**x-x-x-x**

Chapter 2

The gentle rhythm of smooth jazz flowed about the walls of Fox's apartment as he stood over his stove and eyed the freshly made gumbo swirling within the steel pot. Dark amber liquid spun as the tod stirred the dinner he was making for the team which more than enough to feed them and keep some left over. The only issue was that the gumbo lacked an actual ingredient, well, a real ingredient. Meat. What he had in there was a poor synthetic protein imitation chock full of nutrients. Needless to say; the flavor was less than palatable; and thus Fox's meal was laden with spices and other aromatic herbs that would in his hope override the disgusting lie. Thus far the scents that came from the pot tantalized his nostrils and made Fox salivate lightly. It was true; he was going to bribe his team with food. It had worked on them more than once, but in this case he needed them on board. The stakes were as high as they were during the war; possibly even more so as they were on borrowed time.

His rations had certainly taken a hit as perishables and dehydrated vegetables along with who knows what else were thrown together. It was one of his mother's old recipes from the family cookbook, and Fox stuck to it like the word of god; as much as he could anyways.

Several more stirs went past and then the stew was left to sit. With the main course well on its way, Fox set about preparing some of the thick crusty loaf he had purchased with his ration card a few days ago. He sliced it bit by bit so as to make it easy to eat and Fox had little doubt there would be a few jokes about Falco being part pigeon that evening.

The thought of the team joking and laughing once again made Fox smile, one he desperately needed as the day had gone from overcast to outright showers and storms, a godsend for the farmers, but mildly depressing for those who loved the sun.

 _I did ask for it though, so, careful what you wish for I guess._

With the bread sliced and gumbo on, Fox set about putting together two tables that would comfortably sit seven people. Each seat was set accordingly to their height and gait so as to not knock any elbows. Cups, silverware and bowls were laid out neatly and just as he set the last plate; there came a firm triple knock upon the wooden door that caused Fox's ears to perk and swivel to the entryway. No doubt it was probably Falco and Katt as they were usually the first ones to show up these days and often followed by Miyu.

Still, it didn't matter much to Fox who got there first as he approached the door and opened it. There in his white flight jacket with blue panels on the elbows, red shirt and pants along with the same boots Fox wore was Falco Lombardi. They were similar enough in uniform with plenty to differentiate between the two. On his arm was the lover of all things pink and his steady lover; Katt Monroe. She wore a simple violet t-shirt with the name of some band he never heard of while a chain dangled off the side of her blue jeans.

Both the avian and feline smiled at Fox in genuine delight as they both moved in without a word and wrapped their fearless leader and friend in a tight hug. A few seconds would pass before they parted their embrace and just before he was to close the door, Miyu placed her spotted paw on the frame.

Out of all the team, Miyu looked the worst and yet simultaneously the best. Her brilliant blue eyes had a look of resolute determination in an otherwise tired soul.

Fox hated that so much; that someone as young as Miyu was that haggard and run ragged. Regardless, Fox embraced her just the same and held onto the Lynx as warmly as he could, to which she responded by putting her head into the crook of his neck while holding onto him with all her might.

From an outsiders point of view it would seem like a couple were having a heart to heart moment, gentle and intimate, but the reality was that Miyu had become incredibly close to the team especially after the wars. The events that had led them all to being so close had changed Miyu almost overnight. She had basically become team mom; always checking on their gear and ensuring the Arwings or Land Master were ready to go alongside their personal combat gear.

After a moment the two parted and made their way inside and the door closed with a click followed by the turning of a lock. All four gathered around the table at their respective seats and sat in silence as each member turned their eyes to the three empty chairs that were always laid out without a second thought. One by one they let their gaze rest there for a solemn moment of silence before turning to their counterparts with a warm but sorrowful smile. All of them were glad to be alive, yet the loss they felt was still very real.

Fox was glad that some things didn't change when Falco was the first to break the monotonous silence.

"So, how bad is it Fox?"

"Huh?" Fox turned his head to the blue bird with curiosity.

"C'mon Fox, we all know you don't go all out like this unless it's something big, good or bad," replied Falco, his voice full of self assurance.

All eyes were on him. Though Fox was not a religious man, he swore he could just see out of the periphery three sets of eyes, a pair of blue, red, and brown. Fox closed his emerald hues and took a deep breath before he turned his attention to Miyu, Katt, and finally Falco.

"I suppose it is obvious? I always did make these meals before something crazy huh?"

From Falco's side Katt bore a warm smile upon her white furred snout as she tried to ease the tension that sat upon the air. "Yea, kind of a ritual now that I think about it, but c'mon Fox, talk to us hon." She encouraged in that sweet Eledarian accent. For such a harsh world, it was an accent that was cheerful yet subtle and could go into areas of anger Fox hoped he never had to explore with his own harsh Papetoonian.

"Well, I suppose there's good news and of course bad news. The good never comes without a downside. So, I'll start with the good, The Cerinians are going to let us fly again."

Everyone was visibly taken aback by that. It was the sheer fact that they had seemed so concentrated on pinning Fox and every Lylatian with ties to old Corneria to the wall; that flying again just seemed like an outright impossibility.

"No shit?" Falco uttered. "What's the catch?"

 _Dammit… Not like I can put it off…_

"Well, there's two catches, one, we'll be under contract. So no freelancing this time. Though we will have autonomy to operate as we see fit. No rules or regulations to bind us down."

"Sweet, I'm okay with that!" Falco said cheerfully as he forgot that the other boot was about to fall.

"I have to ask what bird brain here forgot the moment you said we get to fly; what's the bad news?" Katt enquired.

"Well…"

 **x-x-x-x**

"You did what?!" Bellowed the voice of High Chancellor Rowena. Her sharp voice reverberated and echoed throughout the officers galley aboard HMS Ceria's Light.

Admiral Abrecan ate quietly as the ringing in his ears from the shrill yell of his civilian counterpart vibrated against his ear drums in an especially annoying way. The white haired and snowy blue striped vixen glared at him with her intense arctic eyes. The woman wore a flowing sea blue robe that covered the aging vixens body from the neck down. It was a simple affair, far from the opulent garments heads of office would have worn in normal times, something that the admiralty always had distaste for.

The salad he indulged in was quite delicious, filled with fruits and vegetables grown in the ships Hydroponics Bay with soil straight from the homeworld. While enough to keep his ship supplied, it was not nearly enough to feed the fleet or Corneria as a whole but they did contribute what they could to the planet below.

"I said, I granted Fox McCloud and his team operational status again. Perhaps you should visit the medical deck and get your ears checked." It was stated in such a calm fashion as he gingerly dabbed his snout to wipe away a smudge of dressing that clung to his fur. All the while casually reviewing operational reports that belonged to various sectors of operation.

"And you didn't think this important to bring up to the council?! He's under investigation!"

"An investigation that in every single instance the evidence has been found wanting; this has been a wild Keln chase from the very start Lady Rowena. His services will be put to use elsewhere and monitored by one of our best."

"You mean, -your- best." Spat the vixen accusingly.

To say that Lord Abrecan was tired of the tone in which Chancellor Rowena used was an understatement. With a soft clatter he placed his silverware down and closed the reports for the moment. Only to look up from the small device and let his eyes convey their severity to the vixen. They were not eyes of a diplomat, but of someone who was quite frankly tired of her presence.

"Matters of security and safety are the militaries purview as stated in my final orders from the Queen of Cerinia. Her majesty, god's rest her soul, who in an act of self sacrifice opted to stay behind with those who could not cross the stars with us. The Civil arm of our society, I.E. your jurisdiction, is to preserve our culture, our way of life and law. If you wish to file a formal complaint, please go down to the personnel deck, file form 32-B#45: In triplicate. And I shall review it accordingly. Until as such a time that paperwork is filed Lady Rowena, I do not care what the council thinks of my actions. I have an entire fleet and world under my protection, and I will perform that duty to my utmost ability to preserve life where I can as per Her Graces orders. Fox McCloud is an asset, as is his team, and they shall be treated as an asset until we can ascertain their trustworthiness."

The Chancellor bared her fang in response. Rowena could not directly act against Abrecan as he had done nothing wrong, but gears had already begun turning in her head.

"Mark my words, that boy and his vagabonds cannot be trusted, they will turn on you and destroy everything that you are trying to create."

"Hence why we have Krystal of The Cardinal Sun as the liaison, she is sharp, gifted in the psionic arts and damn good at hand to hand combat. Which is only furthered by her already impressive flight record. I have little doubt she could disarm Fox's team with little effort… or disable them. Though Fox himself on the other paw, is another matter."

"Then why send her alone?" demanded Rowena.

"Because if I tried to put more of our personnel aboard his ship, he would rebel and outright refuse. One person raises suspicion, an entire squad means they're being guarded against. I am promoting goodwill and an act of faith in letting them have as much freedom as they do, I hope it will be returned in kind. As for why I did not consult you, this falls under my jurisdiction, not yours, and that is that. I do not need to justify myself to you."

"The Archon-"

"Will side with me, Fox is a security matter, not a judicial, nor civic issue; certainly not a religious one either. He is a soldier and this is his only home. I have every confidence he will do all that he can to save lives just as he did in the past. Now, if you'll do me the kindness of leaving, you're disturbing my calm and preventing me from getting through these reports."

Rowena was hardly pleased at being told politely to fornicate with herself, but she could do little. The Admiral was right on every instance and had covered his bases. She had no jurisdiction over Fox and his team.

 _But damned if I won't keep an eye on them._

She knew just who to see for such a thing.

 **x-x-x-x**

"Fox, What the hell man?!"

The very same vulpines response was to sit there and idly eat his gumbo as Falco ranted and raved like a lunatic.

"They're using you and us Fox! It's all political and you fell right into it ya idiot!"

Katt and Miyu had been silent for most of the birds bombastic diatribe. How they were just puppets and being used by the Cerinian Authority. Both females shrugged it off as Falco always did have a thing for drama and knew how to take it one step further.

"Holy shit, they got him controlled! Someone dove into that head of his and messed with him."

"Falco, I think we would notice if Fox were mind controlled… can Cerinians even do that?" Her pinkness muttered.

"Totally! Look how many people they have under their sway! No, they got to him!"

It was about that time Fox had enough of being talked about like he wasn't there.

"Falco, what would you have done in my position? They gave me the evidence, showed me that Corneria is slowly starving to death. Numbers and all."

"Did you ask for copies?" Katt butted in.

"No, but I should have, that way you could have taken a look at them. In hindsight… there was a lot going on."

Falco's feathers were obviously ruffled and scoffed at the lack of evidence. "The Fox I know would have-"

"The Fox you know is alive and well but having to think differently. I did the best with what I had, which isn't very much to begin with. Our alternatives were not that great."

"And what makes you say that?" The pink feline intoned as she nibbled at a slice of bread.

"Think about it, we're too dangerous to let loose, but we're also too valuable and well known. They kill us and there would be plenty of Cornerians in open revolt and it would just make matters worse. So, their only option left would be locking us up in some prison so no one could find us. Or, they put us to use and let us fly."

All three of his teammates looked at each other with not a word spoken. Each of them nodded as they silently agreed that what Fox had said. It certainly did make some sense.

"And if they lock us up, that's more resources spent and manpower stretched thin to keep us under lock and key so we don't cause trouble or someone rescues us." Miyu added as she saw the logic in his thoughts.

"Precisely, they need us. At least with this choice we have a chance at making a difference. There's still plenty of bases and colonies out there that haven't been raided yet. There's probably pirates like Wolfs gang and other groups we can trade with."

"Whoa! Okay, now I know you're nuts Fox, trading? With Wolf?!"

"I'm deadly seriously Falco, we don't have many options and things are only going to get worse if we don't start bringing supplies back. If that means I have to bite the bullet and deal with Star Wolf's bullshit, so be it…" Fox didn't like that prospect, not in the slightest. The look of incredulity from his friends told him they didn't believe it either. But with how the situation was developing, it required different tactics and strategy. This was a different type of war; one without traditional bad guys.

Theirs was an unseen foe, one that consumed slowly and crept up on you until you could do nothing but waste away.

"Peppy wouldn't support this and you know it Fox."

If what Falco said got to Fox, he didn't show it. Instead, he dove deeper into his bowl of soup until it was all gone and dragged his head up to look at the bird with firm eyes of a commander, not a friend.

"Don't bring the dead into this, Falco. Let him rest."

It was a point of contention with Fox and both felines knew it as their eyes locked across the table. Though Falco was making valid points, he walked a very thin line. Fox had taken Peppy's death the hardest and to use him in such a manner was not an intelligent decision.

"Falco, I suggest you let that point go hon."

"Oh, what? You're taking his side now Pink?"

"Not taking anyone's side at the moment, but you should at least let the dead rest. Don't bring old wounds into this." She replied, placing a palm on her right arm and kneading it slowly as if to emphasize her point to Falco.

The bird winced as the point was made, the red around his eyes softened and his feathers slowly laid flat. "Alright, alright… yeah, dick move on my part." He muttered. "I just can't believe we'd be flying for the very people who took over."

Their leader understood all too well why, after everything they had been through with the friends and family they'd lost along the way. It smacked hard of irony and left a somewhat hollow feeling combined with a sense of being powerless. However, Fox would not let that detract from his goals.

"If anyone wants to leave, you're welcome to. I won't hold it against anyone. I don't like this anymore than you do, but Lylat needs to survive, Corneria needs to survive. We can't let Peppy, Slippy, or Fays sacrifices go in vein. All of us fought hard to defeat Andross and I'll be damned if I let Lylat go without a fight. I won't force any of you to join me, but the offer is there. If you want out? Now's the time."

Miyu's eyes traveled between all three of her family that remained, watching Falco fly off the handle like that, Fox maintaining his cool demeanor like he was upon a battlefield and Katt caught in the middle. They were still fractured and old wounds were festering under the skin; that much she saw. The teams flaws were apparent and upon seeing such helped the lynx come to a decision. She would stand by Fox regardless of where they went, if there were any good people left in Lylat. He was it.

Her voice when she spoke was unflinching in its dedication. "I'm with you Fox, all the way, if we have to work for those damned blueberries, that's fine. So long as they don't hurt anymore of us and they give what we bring back to both sides. We're all in this together, like it or not."

Falco let out of one his signature harrumphs and crossed his wings. "So, when do we meet the girl?"

"We don't, I do." Fox replied. "I'm going to interview her myself after I let the Cerinian High Command know we're all onboard, that is, if we're all in."

Falco shook his head in exasperation. "I can't believe us, stuck working for the invaders and being forced to take on one of their own. Buncha bullshit; but yea, I'm in, no matter how much this stinks." Uttered the bird. "Least I get to fly again."

Katt nodded in agreement with her big bird and leaned over to peck him on the beak. "Where you go, I go. I'm not going to let you out of my sight for five minutes, who knows how much trouble you'd get in then. Not to mention that it'll be good to fly."

The todds heart swelled as he had all three of their support, even if it was begrudgingly. He was glad to know that what remained of his loved ones would be at his side during one of his most trying times. For he was alone, not in the sense of no family or a lack of friends; but he had no one to turn to for advice. He had relied so much on Peppy's sage words previously, but now? It was just him in the commander's seat with no number two to give him words of encouragement or guidance.

That wasn't to say he couldn't turn to Miyu or Katt for emotional support, they gave that in spades and Falco was an excellent source of morale support, but the deep emotions and thoughts he held within were firmly locked away and no available path to express them. Despite all that, Fox was glad to know that they were with him. It made dealing with the tragedy of Cornerias surrender and other emotional wounds easier to cope with.

The very fate of Lylat once again was going to hinge on his decisions and the ramifications that would come thereafter. To top all this off, he now had an unknown to deal with. This Krystal woman, Fox had no idea what to expect: Could she be trusted when the chips were down? What would her military profile detail? What would she look like?

The answers would come about soon enough, but first, he had to meet with Fara.

 **x-x-x-x**

 **Phoenix Industries Corporate Headquarters**

 **Downtown Corneria City**

 **12:43 PM The Following Day.**

Phoenix Industries was still the most prestigious company a young Cornerian could ever hope to work for. They had withstood the test of war and came out as the sole arms and goods manufacturer on the planet. In better times they had more competition, such as the now defunct Space Dynamics. That was in the past as now they had the monopoly her father always wanted; just not on desirable terms. They stood as a testament to the will and resilience Cornerian industry had in face of worst case scenarios. But the bitter truth of the matter was, it was lies.

Fara Phoenix sighed in disgust at the blatant propaganda the old government had tried to use for her company. The attempt to paint the Phoenix name as some indestructible juggernaut to keep people hopeful that the singular corporation that survived the war intact was their saving grace. That she and her legion of workers would stop Corneria from falling entirely. It was far from the truth as they weren't agriculturally oriented. They were arms and pharmaceutical manufacturers, their primary source of contracts were military and mostly Star Fox related. Of course with the war over and the Cerinians in charge, they had to gear themselves to a more flexible portfolio.

The blue vulpines had her assembly lines producing equipment that was completely alien in design that according to them; would allow for the Corneria's complete restoration of it's soil. Which begged the question though, if that were the case why didn't they use it on their homeworld? It was something she wanted to ask, but the chances of a political faux paus was very high and she did not want to anger the only political entity that had shown outright hostility to her and the company.

 _Which is ironic considering they need my services and production lines. At least the military arm has been far more polite, not sure how much better that is. But, I'd rather be friends with the people who have the big guns than the aggressive political machine._

Still, business was going well and it would take time to finish production on these machines. The complex devices were powered by a source of energy they had never seen before. The Cerinians tried to explain it to her; something about powering their ships with what their engineers had named a Psi Reactor. That their will power could literally be saved up and used over the course of years. It all sounded way too mystical for her liking. They likely thought her stupid and would not give her the proper details about the reactors they used. Then again, they did stomp on the Cornerian Fleet and stopped Star Fox where Andross had failed.

 _Granted, we were weaker than at peak military capacity, but still, there maybe something to their strange ways._

The Fennec mused quietly to herself as she was well on her way up to the office at the top floor when her communicator emitted a sharp ping. Only one person could be calling her this early in the afternoon and so soon after her lunch break.

"Olivia? What is it?"

"Mr. McCloud is here to see you for your twelve-forty five meeting."

Fara's ears immediately pricked up as she scrambled. "Send him in." I'll be up momentarily," Fara uttered as she entered her private elevator that was reserved for management. The vixen dusted herself and adjusted her black business attire, she was the typical suit with a skirt that just skimmed the tops of her knees, high heels and all. Professional, prompt and damn if she didn't look good. Fara held a great deal of pride about her appearance and the heads that turned, male and female alike. The soft velvet carpet beneath her muffled the steps of her heels as she approached two medium sized doors made of a fine wood with a name she could not for the life of her pronounce. Needless to say; it was expensive and added to the air of opulence the Phoenix family was known for.

The door sensed Fara's presence and unlocked with both doors swinging wide as she made her way inside. Her stride was confident, powerful, for she was a woman on top of the world even in the darkest days. People lived and died by her orders, employees and civilian alike. Inside lay finely polished and honed marble floors which echoed with each step of her heels. The walls were spaced out just enough to make an echo fill the air; it was a mild intimidation tactic she used. Make the person walk some distance to her desk and show off her wealth and let them understand just who they were dealing with.

Along the walls was real wood paneling much like her doors which closed behind her, upon those same immaculate surfaces, artwork of various Phoenix Family members and photos from past heads of the corporation lined it along with busts and other such things one might have to show pride in their lineage.

Her steps echoed off the flooring until she arrived at her desk and promptly sat down in her comfortable chair. Across from her was the savior of Lylat and celebrated hero of many. Fara couldn't deny the gentle flutter in her heart as many a female had when they met him in person; but she quickly doused that with a cold dose of reality that they were no longer together.

 _Our lives were just too different._

Still, that did not prevent Fara from being happy to see Fox. The tod smiled to her and though it was thinly veiled by just how exhausted he was; it was genuine. With how things were progressing, and the likelihood he was having to do more than a heavy share of work communicating with the Cerinians. It was no real wonder he was looking like death warmed over.

"Hey Ears." Fox said with that dogged voice of his.

Fara snorted at her old pet name from the team. "That's Miss Fara Phoenix." She shot back with a grin, knowing full well she wasn't serious and Fox just shrugged it off with a playful roll of his shoulders. He never was one for formalities.

"I can only imagine the reason why you've come here, and I'm sure it's not to try and rekindle our relationship."

"Mmm, I'm afraid not. I don't want to take another Nova Bomb of emotions to the face."

Fara winced at the remark. Her tail flicked in a morose manner while her snout turned downwards. "Y'know, you don't have to remind me…"

Fox scratched back of his head and looked to the ceiling in regret. "I'm sorry, still a bit raw over that. It was a joke in poor taste."

Fara gazed at him before her features softened; his apology was genuine if a bit sharp. "It's fine, I know it wasn't the cleanest breakup."

Fox shook his head. "Let's just forget it was ever brought up yeah? We've got work to do."

"Agreed, but nothing says we can't have a bit of small talk before we begin. How have you been?" The fennec asked only to watch as Fox stirred uncomfortably in his seat, his reluctance indicated there was something deeply troubling him and if she knew him as she thought she did; then Fox wouldn't be forthcoming until he was ready.

"I see. Never mind then Fox, shall we head down to the hangar?" The vixen concluded and stood up, gesturing to the front door of her office and towards the elevator that had brought her up.

Fox tilted his head with pricked ears and followed the vixen to her VIP elevator. The door opened and closed as a pad inside welcomed the vixen in it's eerie foreign accent that reminded him of certain blue vulpines. Fara swiped her red keycard and tapped a three button code on a pad that flipped out of the wall. The elevator descended at speeds Fox was quite used to until it came to a halt and then to his amazement began going horizontal.

"So, what did Admiral Abrecan tell you about what we were doing down here?"

"Down where?" Fox blinked in confusion.

"Ah! Right, I forgot, we don't tell everyone about where we're going. It's an ancient submarine pen near the coast of Corneria city. We bought it years ago when my father ran the company. Reinforced and heavily armored, damn near undetectable from orbit. It's where we've been keeping the Great Fox."

"Jeez, haven't seen anyone use submarines until the Blue Marine back on Aquas."

"You'd be surprised, the CDF had ideas for mobile planetary defense platforms in the form of submersibles with anti-orbital missile and gun platforms that could move consistently."

"Sounds impractical and slow, and if someone finds them via radar from on high, they're sitting ducks."

"Exactly why my father scrapped the idea. Too many counters and factors for an effective counter strike weapon."

"Gotcha, well, Abrecan didn't tell me squat, just said you were repairing and refitting the Arwings, the Landmasters, and The Great Fox herself."

"Well, at least he didn't leave you completely in the dark."

The elevator briefly burst into the open from an underground passage and before them was the coast line and off in the distance the skeletal remains of Corneria city could be seen.

"Holy shit, how fast is this thing going? And why aren't we paste?"

"If I remember my calculations, we're doing almost super cruise speed, and thanks to the G-diffusers built into the elevator, we won't feel a thing."

"That's one expensive elevator." He muttered and looked off towards the city as his tail fell limp and snout turned downwards. The tods strong arms crossed over his chest while a melancholic sigh came forth from his lips.

The Fennec watched as the handsome vulpines features fell. She knew Fox took the defeat of Corneria and it's surrender harshly. "Fox… don't take it too hard on yourself, even you can't always win. We have to make the best of the situation."

"Yeah… yeah. I know, just a lot of things on my mind." He muttered as the capsule disappeared back underground. "So, you said something about being left in the dark?"

"Indeed, we gave the Great Fox a complete overhaul and redesign. You'll see her in a bit."

"Wait what?! What did you do to my fathers ship!?"

"Nothing that it didn't need." She replied to the panicked Fox.

The elevator began to wind down as its acceleration slowed yet Fox couldn't feel a thing and the sound of hydraulics hissed as a dull thud filled the cabin as that same plucky voice announced that they had arrived. Fara stepped out of the tube with Fox in tow as two very heavily armed and armored Phoenix Shock Troops greeted them. Both soldiers were garbed similarly to the soldiers who had escorted him back at the courthouse.

"Afternoon Ma'am."

"Good afternoon, Bruce." She replied calmly and flashed her badge to the guard.

"So, have the Cerinians figured out you still have your own personal army?" ,said Fox

Fara waved a paw dismissively. "More of a company really, but they're security details. They could fight a war if I needed them to, but with those Psionics and Cerinian Training, I doubt my troops would make as much a dent without orbital or air support."

"Don't tempt me."

Fara whirled on her feet and poked him right on the nose. "Don't. Just don't, we're already struggling as it is, and we don't need you flying off the handle in a quest for revenge again. Not this time. Andross is one thing, but as loathe as I am to say it, the Cerinians intentions are good. They're just as scared as we are about being wiped out. I know their civic division has been harsh on you; but the military are decent folks. I have some here helping with R&D."

"How's Beltino taking that?"

Fara flinched for a moment and then sighed. "Not well at first, but he's gotten better about it. Poor guys still busted up about Slippy."

"Can't blame him, it was a heavy blow to everyone and not just logistically either." Fox muttered quietly.

"You did your best Fox, it's why Beltino is so enthusiastic about this Great Fox redesign. C'mon, I'll show her to you."

"Yea, people keep telling me that." He grunted. Fox was tired of people telling him he did his best. Every time someone told him that it was like a stab in the heart as his best hadn't been good enough.

The narrow corridor led into the old base that had long since been refitted. A long winding maze led deep into the hillside until finally it opened up into a massive opening with a yawning mouth that opened up into the sea outside. Hundreds of workers climbed over scaffolding as their plasma torches and various other tools of engineering sparked and spattered. There before him, was the Great Fox, or rather; what used to be the Great Fox. Fox gripped the protective railing and leaned over it as he took in the new shape.

"The hell, you didn't just redesign her, you literally broke her down and rebuilt the whole thing… in a few months?!"

Fara smirked quietly with pride at the impromptu praise and surprise. "Never underestimate what Phoenix Industries can do when we have the resources and manpower. We had to scrap a lot projects and salvage what we could to make this happen."

From on high Fox's eyes wandered over the newly designed ship; gone was the design of his father. It had been replaced with a sleeker far more practical design.

The upper half of the hull was completely shaved off in and sloped backwards in an attempt to save on materials and offer more space for weaponry. On the aft of the hull was a well armored control and observation deck that appeared as a small steeply sloped rectangle with various arrays atop. This was vastly opposed to the old Great Fox's design where the bridge was out in the open and vulnerable at the forefront.

Amidships and just before the bridge were three staggered twin mount gun batteries with full rotation available, meaning they could fire in any direction but down or backwards. He had seen such guns before and while they were not heavy beam cannons like some of the larger Cornerian ships used to carry; they substituted with sheer volume rather than one single big shot which would then need to recharge.

"Those are some big guns."

"Yes they are, Phoenix Industries Mark Two Plasma Projectors, experimental but Beltino worked overtime to make sure they were safe and fully functional. Seriously, that toad is going to break my resource chain with how hard he works."

"Plasma Projectors? I've heard of cannons and batteries…"

The vixen smiled broadly. "Beltino managed to shrink down down the beam tech on the old battleships in the Cornerian fleet. While it sacrifices firepower, it makes up for it in recharge time and frequency of shots. Meaning; for everyone one shot a Cornerian ship could take, you get a grand total of six or even more with a well trained gunnery crew."

"Or one really good ROB unit."

"Or that, yes."

Fox perked his ears as he watched carefully and let his eyes wander to the side and keel of the ship.

"No gun batteries below?"

With the question in the air Fara shook her head with that ever present smile. "Nope! Because of one very specific piece of experimental technology. Take a close look around the belt of the ship."

Fox eyed it curiously as the outer hull seemed to have a singular contiguous strip that ran all along. He personally couldn't see what's inside of it but it made his head tilt before turning his head to Fara. "What is that?"

"A brand new weapon that we were working on for the Navy. It's a Plasma Array."

"Array?"

"Yes, rather than traditional gun barrels like the ones up top, you have one large magnetic strip that feeds into a singular coherent beam of energy in three-hundred and sixty degree firing arcs."

That was a rather interesting prospect to Fox "Okay, what's the downside?"

"Remember what I said about Experimental? Yours is the first ship that will be equipped with this technology. It has a large power requirement and limited range compared to turrets; but we're hoping with the data you collect if and when you use this thing out in Lylat, we can overcome these limitations."

"Lemme guess… Beltino?"

"Beltino. He said it would save on energy requirements rather than powering a whole other weapons battery on the keel. But; he said to use it only when you need precision fire and make sure to power off the main gun before firing it. Also, those aren't the only weapons. If I can direct your eyes to the panels and then the bow section."

"Wait, the three twin mount turrets aren't the main battery?"

"Part of it!"

Fox's head tilted before gazing down at the aforementioned panels as for the first time he did indeed notice a series of panels running alongside the port side in packs of six.

"Missile Racks."

"Yes! Your ship will be armed with the latest Mark Nine Missile Racks, fast, deadly, and good against both small and medium size vessels and a sizeable deterrent against strike fighters. Of course, that's mixed with your point defenses."

Many of these things were what the previous Great Fox had been lacking during the wars; that, and proper shield tech.

"So, this thing is a warship and not a Battle Carrier… what about a hangar?"

"We'll get to that in a moment, promise. First I want to show you the final weapons on this bad boy."

Fox smirked at Fara's excitement. She always got this way when she explained her work or showed off the accomplishments of her employees. The sandy vixen was always proud of how devoted and competent her company was. From the highest ranked accountant; all the way down to her floor workers. She boasted unparalleled appreciation to her employees and her borderline arousal when it came to weapons always made it comedic to watch. He once swore that the woman got hot and bothered more over weaponry than she ever did with him.

"Now, We did manage to keep one of the large beam canons and we put it right in the center of the ship. Because sometimes you do need forward facing firepower, it's more a capital ship killer should you encounter anything particularly nasty. And that's not all, three Nova Bomb launchers if you need to clear a path."

Fox blinked while his eyes went wide. "Sweet Creator Fara; do you know how expensive this thing is going to be to run? That's on top of the Arwings and The Land Masters. My overhead is going to be huge!"

"No larger than your head already."

Fox blinked and then opened his mouth to respond before closing it and shaking his head with a small mirthful chuckle. "Damnit Fara."

"Admit it, you miss me from time to time."

"I do, but then I remember how it all went." He fired back. "But seriously, the hell do you think I'm going to be doing out there?"

"I have no idea; and that's why I want you to have the best gear. We're depending on you and Star Fox to save us once again. I'll be damned if I lose anymore friends because you lacked the proper equipment. Slippy would still be here if the CDF had listened to me and provided you the tools you needed."

Fox wished she hadn't brought that up; but it was the honest to creators truth. Fox did not want to think about that event in particular and so he quickly refocused his attention on Fara. "I still appreciate what you did on that front. Just wish the equipment would have gotten there sooner."

Fara's smile turned into a forlorn one as her paw gently reached over to place it overtop of Fox's. "It wasn't your fault. Slippy and the team did everything right, but it just wasn't enough. With this ship at your disposal. That won't happen again. You have my word and the reputation of the Phoenix name riding on it. I failed you once, I won't fail you again."

Fox let his eyes linger on Fara for a few short seconds before letting those tired eyes drift towards the work of beauty before him. The vessel was a swift, sleek beast of war. Armor plating, missiles, a main forward facing gun and nova bomb launchers, three twin mounted guns that could pump out more shots than the old Cornerian cannons. This wasn't the battle carrier his father purchased. It was a new ship from the mind of Phara Phoenix and Beltino Toad coupled with a sort of alien influence. Most Cornerian ships tended to be rather box like; sort of how Venomian ships were. Large geometric shapes as opposed to something so clean and polished. If he didn't know any better; the ship was inspired by Cerinian design. The alien Cerinians took the phrase "Art of War" quite literally. Their ships were often functional yet beautiful to gaze upon. Even their more utilitarian ships were miles ahead in the aesthetics department and still deadly to boot. Of course, there was one bit of the ship he had to know about.

"And the Hangar?"

"Armored and protected within the hull itself. No more exposed launch bay that's just aching to get blown straight to kingdom come. In front of the forwardmost gun turret there's an elongated piece of metal that slides back to open a hatch and allow your Arwings to fly out at max speeds while keeping you protected. It still is a bottle neck but it'll be damned hard to attack as you launch with those main guns and point defenses raising hell."

He had to hand it to her, when Fara went all out; it showed. The ship was a veritable flying fortress with enough guns to slug it out with one of Andross's heaviest capital ships.

"And there's one final touch, courtesy of our Cerinian benefactors."

"Rather ominous wording there."

"Really no other word for it." replied Fara. "But, they were kind enough to give us one of their shields to slap on her."

The tods eyes nearly leapt from his skull. "No shit!?"

"Not shitting you at all Fox." She said with a laugh at his response. "The engines are Cerinian as well, much faster than our own. I will say this, their ships are pretty but their main reliance is on speed, firepower and those shields. A real holy trinity. They can't take a hit worth a damn but those shields are a bitch to blast through.

"And what about this monstrosity then?"

"Oh she's got the whole kit n kaboodle. Armor, Speed, and Guns for days topped off with those shields? She's a real beast of a ship, probably the most expensive vessel ever designed by Lylatian hands, other than that stupid super dreadnought Andross designed and then failed to properly support." The vixen giggled uncontrollably at the mentioned dreadnought, the very same one Fox had brought down in conjunction with the Cornerian fleet. Fara was always tickled by Andross's idiotic designs, more often than not the weapons were great for instilling terror, but that's all they were good for. At least until a good pilot came along to circumnavigate it and exploit their weaknesses; which resulted in a ship turned to molten slag.

"I guess they really are serious about this whole thing then, I just wish I knew what their angle was."

The vixen empathized with a nod of her head. "As far as I can tell, the military is all about surviving and making sure we all don't starve to death. The politicians on the other hand…"

"Are total ass holes." The tod uttered.

"I was going to say rude. But that works to. As for their angle, I have not a single idea. Anyways, enough standing around up here, let's head down to meet with Beltino. He'll give you the rundown on everything far better than I can. We'll find him on the bridge more than likely."

The tods fingers tenderly tapped on the metal and shook his head. "Afraid I can't, not today at least. I gotta go talk with the Cerinians about stocks and supplies for the ship when she's ready. You've got the ammo covered but they have the rations and such. I gotta make sure the team is properly fed or we're not getting a damn thing done."

"Are you sure? I think it would do good for Beltino to see you again." Fara's eyes did carry some measure of hope in them, but sadly it was due to be ashed.

With a forlorn shake of his head Fox turned to the Fennec."To be honest, I'm not ready to see him. I need a bit more time before that."

Fara understood why he was so apprehensive; even after two years it still affected Fox on an intensely deep level. The Toads had been close to the McClouds for an age just as the Hares were; and with Peppy gone, Fox had no one to confide in. Falco and Katt couldn't keep secrets between each other to save their lives; and she still wasn't sure about that Miyu girl.

"Alright, well, I need to go talk with him. Just use this card and my code to get back to the surface. You take care of yourself; alright?"

With a nod and faint smile upon his lips, Fox gave her a salute and made his way back to the elevator.

It was true that Fox did not feel he could face Beltino so soon; it had been almost three years and yet it felt like yesterday. The tod shivered as he remembered flying past the Great Fox just as the bridge decompressed, the SOS signal and the coms going dark as Slippy desperately tried to keep the ship combat effective rather than worry about his own safety. The thought of floating lifeless in space was not something a pilot or anyone liked to envision. Slippy had died a hero, but then there was the root of the problem. Slippy, much like Peppy and Fay; had all died under his command in various circumstances.

It wasn't made better by the fact Fox did not know how to deal with it other than bury it way down as far as he could and ignore them until they surfaced in moments like this. Emotions would run wild, fear and anger combined with sorrow would work their way into his head until he beat his own thoughts into submission. It worked for a time; but in the end, Fox knew he would have to get help one way or another. For now, he had a meeting to plan and resources to acquire.


	3. Chapter 3

**x-x-x-x**

Chapter 3

A thrum of murmuring voices filled the barracks as a lone Cerinian strode out of the shower and towards her locker. The azure vixen strode with determination in her step, or one would think that if not for the vixen humming a happy little tune to herself. Her thick bushy tail bobbed and weaved after her trip through the auto-dryer and combing down her fur over a body rich in hues of blue and white. The front of her facial features were white with two stunning aquamarines eyes most individuals could not help but be drawn into when they talked with her, that very same fur ran all the way down and over the swells of her chest, across her belly, and between her nether regions with a subtle hint arching around towards her backside. The soft strands of white gave way to blue that covered every inch of her body. Bright cerulean locks dangled in a professional yet appealing short locks with shots of white that were scattered within. All the while the vixen in question appeared to be in peak physical condition for her species and gender, taking excellent care of herself as her fur coat boasted a healthy sheen and powerful muscles were just hinted beneath the vibrant fuzz.

The very same vixen approached her locker and opened it after a dull beep signified the right combination. Inside was her flight suit, for today she wouldn't dare be caught dead not wearing that for one very good reason. A very compelling event that could potentially change the course of fate for both Cerinian and Cornerian alike and she wanted to be seen as what she was. A Cerinian pilot willing to do what was necessary to save lives. Today, she was meeting with Fox McCloud, a legend and a devil among Cerinians.

Her suit slipped on easily, black with blue thigh high boots and paneling over the chest and shoulders that could dissipate energy blasts. A simple belt that wrapped around her waist with an aquamarine stone in the center which had a singular band that went around her right thigh that held a holster for her blaster. To further her kit, she had a pocket in which her most sacred treasure was stashed securely; a powerful Cerinian warstaff that behaved as a conduit for which Krystal could channel all her psionic might and power into world and reality bending effects. That wasn't to say she needed it, but it helped to have a focus and hers was among the finest in their craft.

Purple and blues ran up the shaft of the weapon with the head ending in a beautiful golden tip that could open into a sharp spear capable of penetrating the thickest of hides and even heavy infantry armor. Within the tip was an alcove that held a tiny sapphire gem which had been a gift from her mother. The traditional weapon was a sacred family heirloom; one Krystal held reverently with a sigh before she was jared from her thoughts in surprise. A loud crash of a fist meeting metal made Krystal nearly jump out of her fur as her steely eyed gaze came to land upon Cynric; one of her wingmates.

She was greeted by the sight of a burly male, well, burly for pilot standards. A man like him would not have been out of place in the infantry with his broad shoulders and powerful musculature easily on display in the unisex barracks. The tod cared not that his body was on display, in fact, he seemed to take no small amount of pride in displaying himself to Krystal. It was amazing to her the antics some men would do to attract a female.

"Gods dammit Cynric, why do you always have to make me jump like that?"

The vulpine in question was a bright sky blue with mirth filled and surprisingly gentle white eyes eyes. "Not my fault you can't hear me coming from a mile away Krystal. Seem to have something on your mind; gold coin for your thoughts?" His accent was deep, almost baritone and within it lay a certain strength that was assertive yet placating. She understood why he was the talk of the barracks among the other vixens and it was no secret he had his eyes on her for some time.

"What do you think, pretty sure word has spread already."

Cynric chortled quietly. "You would be correct. You're one of our top pilots and being interviewed for a spot on the team that gave us so much hell when we first arrived. Everyone is envious of you. I mean, c'mon; McCloud was the one who killed Andross himself. The madman was practically a god from all the accounts and McCloud took him out."

Krystal couldn't deny that as they'd all seen the recording from Fox's flight recorder. Even some of the more choppy distorted parts delivered an intense and harrowing experience. Fox, by himself had killed the greatest threat to Cerinia and Corneria single handedly. He was a hero by anyone's standard and yet somehow they were on different sides of a sea rife with tension that should have never existed in the first place.

"Just a shame we're in the position we are. You would have thought we could work together, but between the horrible first contact; then the riots when we first showed up, the terrorist cells… we came to fight Andross only to find these people on a wing and a prayer." The cobalt vixen muttered.

Cynric gave a shrug. "What can you do? They forsook their gods long ago and ignore the world around them in favor of constructs and machinery. Perhaps this is their punishment."

The azure vixen scrunched her snout at that comment. "And what was our punishment for Cynric? We lost just as much as these people, perhaps even more. Do not be so quick to judge, afterall; Fox and his team gave us hell before Corneria surrendered. Imagine if he decided to keep fighting.

 _That should deflate his ego a bit._

The response Krystal garnered was exactly what she desired. Cynric's ears went flat with a morose look of defeat before crossing his arms and turning his eyes up to Krystal. "True, there's more than a few in the Royal Air Arm and Marines who respect him. I've even heard one of the old priests mutter how Fox could be the avatar of the war god. Can you believe that?" The male smirked at the very notion as he found the very notion preposterous."As if a Cornerian would even be noticed by our creators." His normal confident demeanor returned rapidly and a small side of smugness was carried in his tone.

Krystal understandably found it odd how sure of himself Cynric was in that statement.

"Stranger things have happened Cynric, and while I agree these Cornerians are a motley bunch… But, we're all in this hell together, so best to learn to keep that pride in check before someone knocks you down."

She watched as the male rolled his eyes and then directed them back to her with a flirty smile upon his snout. "So after your interview Krystal, how about you and I go get some food huh? There was a fresh delivery from fleet hydroponics today. Need to get it while the getting is good."

"Ask my mother first." She shot back with a smirk. The vixen reached back into her locker and produced two gloves to slip over her palms and snapped them into place. She was armed and ready to face the man, the myth, the legend.

"Oh c'mon, don't tell me your family still adheres to those traditions?"

The vixen closed her locker and just grinned at Cynric. "Only when I know the male in question who's trying to sniff under my tail wants what's there and only that. Now, if you want something serious then maybe we'll talk. Until then, I have an appointment to keep."

She did take a small amount of pleasure in putting Cynric in his place, while he wasn't a womanizer, he did make the rounds so to speak. Krystal felt herself wanting something more stable and romantic; and while some of her female friends spoke highly of Cynric's ability as a lover; the tod did not seem the type to want to dedicate himself to one woman. Which was perfectly fine, especially with their population lower than it's ever been. He just was not her type in that regard. Even so, she did not want to give up the momentum of her career as she was riding high on the hog and hopefully if all went well today, the stars would be the limit.

Not to mention It would do her some good to get off the base; as Krystal often stayed there for various reasons. Chief among them was how judgemental Cornerians were. It amazed her really; how a planet of people that according their political doctrine were open and accepting, but were incredibly subjective in their views. It was why ventures outside of the compound were rare for her. The stares and reactions from people she didn't want to deal with which combined with the wayward thoughts of an undisciplined population that she could hear as clear as a sky blue day; it was a recipe for a migraine. Regardless, Krystal left the barracks with a small spring in her step and found a military car waiting for her. It was a small vehicle with a covered top, four wheels, and armored enough to resist small caliber anti-tank rockets.

 _One can't be too careful._

The driver to her surprise was a Cornerian Military Police Officer; one of the few who probably stayed on board for the benefits and jobs security. She couldn't blame the man at all as the benefits were plentiful and guaranteed him some sort of preferential treatment. However, the hell he must have caught from his people had to be fierce.

The doberman offered a salute without a word. Krystal of course returned it and then climbed into the back, closing the door as she took her seat and strapped herself in. The drive was not a long one but it was enough to let her get an eyeful of the city in disarray. Buildings were still collapsed and entire streets were inaccessible due to rubble or giant holes that were left over from the war. Krystal felt a pang in her chest at the memories of Cerinia, specifically the capital city as It had been in a strikingly similar state when the homeworld was evacuated.

 _Yet for all our suffering, the Cornerians bore the brunt of Andross' assault and everyone else was just a victim to his aspirations of galactic dominance._

Cornerian citizens on the sidewalk flowed past in a sort of strange amalgamation of colors as Krystal keyed her senses into the temperment of the city. The overall feeling was not a pleasant one; decrepit and bleak were the words that first came to mind. Very few people wore smiles these days and the weather did little to help improve the mood with it's grey skies and even an ocean once reputed to be a pristine blue was muted from it's pollution. All around her a sense of emptiness and a lack of all life and hope filled the city. Such emotions had a stronger effect on Cerinians and Krystal had to steel herself lest she get caught in a feedback loop of negativity.

"We're here ma'am." came the voice of her driver. The vixen clearly surprised at just how fast they arrived at their destination.

"Thank you Sergeant, don't wait and report back to base."

The doberman looked in the rear view mirror at her skeptically. "Are you sure ma'am? I know things have been quiet for a few months, but that's a bit bold if I may say."

"You may, and I appreciate your concern Sergeant. I will be fine. If I am not safe around Fox McCloud, where can anyone be safe?"

The dog had to give it to her, she was right. If you were in danger around a McCloud, then things had really gone sideways.

"Very well ma'am, be careful."

Krystal exited the vehicle and made her way inside. The storm over head raged on as lightning began to streak across the skies. The rain did little to bother her; as a child she had ran through rain storms for personal enjoyment as it made her feel alive and connected with the world around her. Still, she could not deny that her mind felt heavy with doubts. Fox's record was astounding, hundreds of confirmed kills all across the spectrum. From tiny one man fighters, to super capital ships. His ground career was no slouch either and that's what made Fox such an interesting individual to the Cerinian Authority. His skill, speed, and ability to adapt was something even they had not seen before. The confidence and strength he inspired in others was almost otherworldly.

" _I heard one of the old priests say that Fox could be the avatar of the war god... Can you believe that?"_

The words rang in her mind as that thick tail swayed in tandem with her pace. Here, her soon to be new squadron leader resided. Krystal checked her wrist communicator and saw that she was right on time as the elevator she had taken from the bottom floor brought her to the very top and had made he way down the hall to the apartment that Fox resided in.

 _Well, here goes nothing._

Three gentle taps upon the wooden surface followed by a few seconds of silence until from within she heard a firm voice tinged with enervation answered.

"Enter."

A twist of the knob and the dark colored door opened before her and led into the apartment. She expected something professional and showy; but instead, his apartment was quaint. A couch, holovid set, and windows that shown out onto the street and other nearby buildings. The floor was hardwood and colored similarly to the door. Krystal's eyes wandered slowly around the room as her nose took in the scents. All she could smell was Fox, a spicy almost woods like fragrance mixed with something floral to tune down his natural musky aroma.

Krystal's eyes came to rest on the man in question. Fox sat over the table in front of him staring at what was presumably her military record. Likely he was doing one last look over before they talked. Krystal strode forward and past a chair that was left for her; snapped her feet together smartly and offered Fox a polite salute with her elbow out and a sharp inclined paw on the left side of her head.

"Leftenant Krystal reporting, Sir."

The tod seemed surprised when he looked up. Eyeing her with curiosity and to her shock, hardly a look of thirst. She wasn't sure if she was disappointed at that or marveling at Fox's self control. What caught her off guard though was his appearance, Krystal expected a cocksure self confident pilot ready to take on all comers as indicated in his psyche profile.

What sat before her was the complete opposite.

 _He looks exhausted._

Though the better word to have used would be disheveled. There were large bags under his eyes that indicated he had not slept in days. Fox's ears were droopy and far from alert and attentive; his fur was dulled significantly in what otherwise appeared to be a healthy male vulpine. All of that was coupled with how slow he moved and a tail that was at complete rest. Overall, her first impression of this supposed legend was falling far short of her expectations.

His voice is what really did it in though.

"I'm not an officer Lieutenant, drop the sir." His tone was sharp and full of aggravation; as though her presence were an annoyance.

 _Not that I can blame him considering the circumstances._

She was willing to cut Fox some slack for now, whatever he'd been through was showing and the amount of crap he must be putting up with had to be immense.

"Right, apologies uh…"

"Fox will do, please, have a seat and we c-can begin."

 _He didn't even stand to shake my hand… rather rude this one._

"Of course." Replied Krystal as she took a seat while being mindful of her tail.

"Well, you certainly make no bones about how you wanted me to see you, blaster, Cerinian weapon and flight suit. Professional ap-pearance and all, a good start. So... I've gone over your record and thus far I am impressed. Over several hundred confirmed kills ranging from fighters to capital ships, numerous su-successful recon and escort missions. Ground combat trained which is always good, hell, even Chemical and Biological hazard environment training. While all of this is good... I don't really care about any of this."

Krystal kept her cool, to feel her record that she worked so hard for and establish herself as warrior among her people being thrown aside felt like a slap to her face. Not to mention Fox was behaving strangely, she saw him fidget slightly in his chair and the stutter in his voice was becoming noticeable as time passed. He kept missing syllables or having prolonged pronunciations; even outright moments where he seemed to space out only to continue right from where he dropped off.

"Then what do you care about?"

"Why do you fight?" He said sharply.

"Come again?"

"Why. Do. You. fight." Reiterated Fox. "Kills and successful missions are great for the press and your own ego. I already have one pilot like that on my team and he's a handful. I don't need another. So, I ask you again Krystal, what purpose do you fight for? Honor? Prestige? Glory? Money?"

 _I see, it's a personality question, he wants to know who I am behind the stick as opposed to just who I am when I pull the trigger._

"That's a complicated answer Fox, but, if I were to say it in one simple phrase. It's to protect others, especially those who can't defend themselves."

A derisive snort came from the sapped tod in response.

"Is there something wrong with my reply?"

"No, just the irony in it is all. Con...considering the situation we find ourselves in."

At first she wanted to rebuke what he said; but the truth of the matter was he sat across from one of his conquerors. So, what she just said had to sound like the most paradoxical statement he ever heard. And she could give him leeway on that, Krystal's tolerance for his behavior swa swiftly running out. The disrespect was bordering on offensive to her sensibilities.

"Next question I have for you Krystal, is what are your talents, and I don't mean combat or off duty talents. I mean your Psionic ones. For some reason your commanding officer decided to leave that information out."

"Why is that important?"

Fox narrowed his eyes at her. "You really have to ask that Krystal? Your people conquered mine, you can read most individuals thoughts barring those of us who know how to focus our will enough to keep you out. We've seen what your ground troops can do first hand when the riots and other various instigators started raising hell upon your arrival. So, this is a question I have for you because I need to know and want to know what you can do." His voice was hostile, aggravated; and the fact Fox's voice held tension that was growing by the second did not help matters.

Her own temper began to flare, but ever grateful for her training Krystal still managed to keep her calm with several rhythmic shallow breaths before speaking her reply.

"Captain McCloud, I do not feel comfortable answering that question and I would appreciate if you would keep your tone respectful." She shot back curtly. "I am not one of your wingmates yes. And I am sure as hell not some green pilot fresh from training."

She saw the temper in Fox flash for but a hot second before his eyes relaxed and he leaned back into his chair with a heavy sigh. A single tired paw ran over his handsome features as two two fingers and his thumb gripped the bridge that separated his eyes.

"I'm sorry," It was strange for Krystal to watch as Fox seemed to pause mid sentence, his eyes closed while his paw gripped the table lightly. It was as though he were struggling to find words or formulate them and they would not come forward. Several long seconds passed before he seemed to gather enough brain power to continue speaking.

"It's been a rough few days and between getting the Great Fox ready, and then fighting with resources and procurement out of the Cerinian Authority... Co...combined with some unpleasant thoughts I've been having. It's been hell. Think I've only had at max, maybe eight hours of rest in the last…crap, I've lost track of how many days it's been."

 _Well that explains a few things. Chief among them this drained attitude of his._

"Very well, I didn't mean to get testy with you Fox. But I am not going to be walked all over."

"Of course, Krystal. I'm normally not like this. There's a lot going on right now. Anyways, if you don't feel comfortable talking about your psionic abilities." Thash fine, but I would like to know in the future when you do feel better about shhharing them."

Krystal's ears twitched as his words had even started to slur together. She marveled at just how ragged Fox was and yet in his current state he showed little signs of slowing down. His nervous tweaks and anxious ridden demeanor were all apparent. Krystal didn't even need the use of her telepathy as Fox was pushing himself to the absolute limit and possibly beyond what any normal mammal should have.

 _He must be working himself to the bone for all this… Fox must be either really stupid or incredibly ambitious. I'd admire him if it obviously weren't hurting him._

"Why does it matter exactly?" She inquired.

"Because my team is going to be p...paranoid. Falco already accused me of being mind controlled by your people for even accepting thish deal. I don't think your people can do that, or would do that even if they could. Otherwise we'd be walking around as mindless slaves or shhomething."

Krystal didn't react to the idea of mind control, but didn't exactly scoff either. Krystal was silently grateful that Fox didn't really seem to notice or care.

"So, knowing what you can and cannot do would go a long way to ease some already frayed nerves."

"Your team? Does that include you?" Krystal was curious as to just what kind of uphill battle she would be facing.

Krystal hit him with a sharp verbal slap to the face to which the tod across from her winced at the accusation. Fox liked to think of himself as open minded and welcoming, but all of this was completely new. Even he couldn't keep the Cerinians out forever. It was an unfortunate occupational hazard that he had to know everything about a person before taking them on. It just so happened the newest potential member had abilities no one could see or stop her from using. It was a shameful feeling Fox had; that he had to judge Krystal for the natural abilities her people came by. Everyone had their secrets after all.

"It pains me to admit it, but what you can do does scare me. How do you defend against something that you can't see or feel until it's al-already happening? I mean, I can block most Cerinians out, but eventually you always get through. It's not something I'm used to dealing with." His mind drifted for the briefest of moments before returning to the present. "Hell, no one in Lylat is familiar with it save maybe Andross before I put him down a couple years ago."

Krystal tilted her head in curiosity towards him. "You seemed to do well enough in combat, you did quite a bit of damage before Corneria's surrender." It was intended as a compliment to his skill and daring, unfortunately, Krystal had no idea what she just stepped into.

Fox's tail flitted angrily as he cast his head down with a balled up fist.

"Get out." He snarled with a voice that oozed with aggression.

The sudden way he shifted from apologetic and professional to anger was like someone flipped a switch on him. Krystal attempted to placate Fox and apologize to the bewildered vulpine. "Fox, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"I said; get out!" Fox roared.

The vixen looked upon the tod and saw the pain and anger in his eyes. But it was who it was directed at that shocked her the most. Her mind carefully graced his so as not to tip off the alerted vulpine and what Krystal glimpsed shocked her; all the hatred, and anger she could see coming off him in vast powerful waves was directed internally rather than at herself.

 _Just what kind of man are you?_

With a crisp salute Krystal snapped back around and promptly exited the apartment with the door being shut behind her. The vixen drew in a long breath of air before slowly exhaling as she tried to calm her frayed nerves.

"He's quite intense, wouldn't you agree?"

Krystal stood up and tried to look proper as her head turned and came to rest upon a spotted feline with tall ears and a short bobbed tail.

"I… yes, yes he is… erm-"

"Miyu, Miyu Lynx. Star Fox's chief mechanic and Sixth member of the team."

Krystal gave the cat a polite nod of her head. "Krystal. Nice to meet you Miss Lynx."

"Just Miyu will do. So, what did you say to Fox that made him throw you out?"

Krystal closed her eyes and cast her head down lightly. "I brought up the surrender."

Miyu flinched and then hissed softly like someone had punched her in the arm. "Yea… not a good idea to ever bring that up. He's still sore about it; blames himself more than anything."

"I noticed," replied Krystal. "Saw it in his eyes, he wasn't even mad at me. It was all directed inwards but he lashed out."

The feline with the strange arrow shape pattern on her forehead nodded. "That's Fox. He tends to shoulder tons of responsibility even when it shouldn't be his to carry. Comes with being in command along with the kind of guy he is."

The feline's gaze was not what she expected; there was no accusatory glare, not a hint of malice. Most of what she saw in there was curiosity and from the way Miyu was talking, the feline was trying gain a measure of the woman she was dealing with.

"I see."

 _A noble sort then. Going so far as to even sacrifice his own health for the greater good._

Krystal's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Miyu's voice. "Anyways, you're the new girl?" The Lynx asked inquisitively.

Krystal scratched the back of her head as she sized up Miyu curiously. The feline wore a red shirt that cut off above her belly, revealing a rather potent set of muscles beneath the short fur. Over that was a dark grey jacket with sleeves that only went to her elbows and a length down just to where her shirt ended. A long pair of cargo pants ran down her lower half that covered her from waist to feet and were tucked into a pair of black combat boots. Overall, Krystal's impression of Miyu was someone who was not to be trifled with. Especially with which the ease of confidence she wore naturally.

"I don't think so, considering he threw me out of his apartment." Krystal uttered with slumped shoulders.

"Ehh, don't sweat it. Come with me Krystal. Lets give Fox some time to cool off then we'll head back and give him another chance. He's been dealing with a ton of crap on all sides." Miyu said with a smile upon her lips.

"I kind of figured as much. His position cannot be an easy one."

The lynx nodded with a laugh. "Understatement of the month right there." Replied Miyu as she turned about to walk down the hall towards her own apartment. The feline quickly opened it after letting Krystal pass through first and then gently closed the door behind her.

Much like Fox's room, it was a quaint event, the only difference was the myriad of equipment and tools laid out on a table. All of which seemed to be used in fixing a sort of engine. It didn't appear to be a weapon to her.

"Drink?" Miyu offered as she went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"Uhm, just water please."

"Laaaaame." Came the felines rebuttal as she snagged a bottle of water for Krystal and a beer for herself. With ease Miyu chucked it across the room to which Krystal's swift reflexes snagged it out of the air with a wet slap of fur on plastic.

"Have a seat, it'll be a bit before Fox calms himself down." Krystal found herself planting her rump firmly in a nearby couch as she sighed and looked to Miyu quizzically.

"Credit for your thoughts Krystal?" The feline said with a raised eyebrow.

"Mostly just curious as to why you're being so polite or if this is some kind of weird baptism by fire."

Miyu shook her head mirthfully. "No baptism here, you just stepped on a landmine that most know to avoid. Though, how could you know? You've never talked with him before. I just don't want you getting chased off is all."

"And why is that? I would think you and your team would want any Cerinian chased away."

The feline seemed to think it over slightly in her head and tapped the tip of her beer bottle with a claw. "Well, for starters you're obviously military, and assuming your navy is nowhere near as incompetent as ours was; I'd wager they would send one of their best over rather than saddle us with a greenhorn. Abrecan isn't that stupid."

Krystals head tilted with curiosity. "Your tone indicates respect for the Admiral, why is that?"

"Because Abrecan, though a conqueror has at least tried to treat us with respect and dignity rather than how your politicians have been behaving. He ensures food gets evenly distributed; that Cornerians don't go without medical treatment, hell, he's the one who pushed for joint Cornerian and Cerinian education."

What Miyu said was true, and Krystal had to smile slightly to hear someone from a famous team speak highly of one of their leaders. "Well, I'm glad his efforts have been paying off at least in some regard. But if this is the case; why hasn't Star Fox come out in support of him?"

"Politics." Miyu said simply. "Between Rowena trying to pin Fox's ass to the wall and a decent amount of Cornerian people who are pretty pissed off still. It's not safe for us to pick a side. Not that we really want to."

"I see, play the middle ground and try to foster something."

Miyu's left eye clenched a little as a look of indifference came across her features. "Not really, just don't want to get caught in the crossfire. We're not tools for a political machine, we fight for the people. Government be damned."

"Then why didn't you keep fighting us?"

Miyu's mood took a turn for the dour as short snout now bore a frown. "That's not for me to answer Krystal. But I will say this, we've lost people and it took its toll on Fox. To be honest, I'm worried he might not be ready to lead again. He feels responsible and wants to; but his heart may not be in it just yet."

"Why are you telling me this?" Krystal uttered, curiosity rife in her voice.

"Because, you can read his thoughts. You'll be able to see more than I ever could. I don't want Fox or any more of my friends to die. With your power you might be able to get through to him where all of us have failed."

 _So, her bringing me here was out of concern than anything else._

"You don't even know me, how can you possibly trust me with such a thing?"

"Gut feeling." She replied. "No idea why, but, you strike me as a good person. Though, I have been wrong in the past. Regardless, you're the one they sent and if Abrecan supports it, well. You can't be a total ass barrel."

Krystal raised her eyebrow at that phrase. "Ass… barrel?"

"You know, a barrel full of ass?"

"You have strange insults Miyu."

"Can't be any weirder than some of the Cerinian ones I'm sure." Replied the Lynx. "Either way, give it about ten more minutes then we'll go back and see Fox."

Those ten minutes seemed to go by faster than Krystal anticipated. The vixen was curious about a many number of things though the answers were very far and few inbetween. She received enough to slake her curiosity for the time being until finally, the pair did as Miyu suggested and went back to Fox's room with the feline knocking on the door. "Hey Fox, it's Miyu, open the door."

Deafening silence was the reply.

"That's odd… Krystal, I don't mean to push you, but can you sense anything on the other side?" Miyu bore a clear indicator of worry within her voice.

"Is something wrong?"

"Gut feeling again, and a bad one at that. Fox usually answers the door."

Krystal saw the pleading in Miyu's eyes and understood that the feline was genuinely concerned.

"Alright, give me a second." Krystal focused her mind slowly and exhaled. It was just like watching something with her own two eyes as the room opposite the door came into focus. Bit by bit she traversed the living space with her mind's eye and honed in on Fox. A sharp gasp tore from Krystal's lips as she laid eyes upon the tod what she witnessed was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Around Fox was a dark malign aura filled with sorrows and contrition while he sat upon the edge of his bed head in his paws. Whatever was on Fox's mind it bore the weight of a life time and he hadn't even reached his late twenties. The simple room was disheveled and looked like a total wreck with papers, books, and various data pads flung about.

She could not let this stand; while Fox certainly had once been an enemy, his background spoke of compassion unparalleled and mercy not many were capable of. An abrupt spike of protective nature surged forth and in an effort to alleviate Fox's woe, Krystal channeled a modicum of her empathy towards the vulpine and whispered his name in a fashion that was laced with subtly so as not to be detected. Miyu watched on curiously as the vixen's aquamarine eyes radiated with power though she knew not what Krystal was doing.

Krystal was trying to break the spell the tod's heart had cast upon him; and slowly but surely as she repeated his name several times in an attempt to siphon off as much of his negativity that she could bare. Problem was, there was a lot of it. She could feel everything from within him, all that plagued him made him suffer. Krystal had no idea how someone could shoulder that much guilt and stay sane, his mind was certainly made of sterner stuff than the average Lylatian. It was about the third time that Fox's head rose as he heard his name and confusedly glanced about. Confusion and disorientation were written upon his features. Satisfied, Krystal withdrew quickly before Fox could detect her.

"Alright, try again Miyu." She uttered breathlessly, the vixen having had quite the toll taken on her own mind from such a venture. It would take time to process all that she felt, but it was not enough to debilitate her for an extended period.

The Lynx was confused at Krystal's sudden heavy breathing before deciding to not ask for the moment and firmly knocked upon the door three times. When Fox did not answer, she did it thrice more until finally the door twisted and Fox stood there looking as haggard as before; perhaps even slightly worse.

Fox's drained eyes gazed upon them both; nary a flicker of animosity was present when he turned his gaze to Krystal and then back to Miyu.

"What?" He said sternly.

"Boss, you have an interview to conclude."

"We already-"

Miyu gave him a look, one that Fox had become accustomed to. How she managed to pull off the stern "Mom" look at such a young age astounded Fox. "No, you threw her out, I could hear it from all the way down the hall and I understand why. But give the girl a proper chance, she's not all bad, and if Abrecan sent her, well… we probably could do worse."

Fox stared at Miyu and deliberated on the input. While he wasn't sure about having a Cerinian on the team… if Miyu gave support, well; that had to count for something.

With an exhaustive sigh, Fox shook his head and once more gazed upon the cerulean vixen. "Alright. Krystal, I apologize for earlier. I was well out of line, you stepped on a sensitive personal issue and I had no right to take it out on you. Would you like to come in and continue?"

His entire demeanor performed a one-eighty degree turn. He was far more polite yet still utterly spent. Whoever Miyu was to Fox; he obviously valued her advice and put great stock in the felines words. For many Cerinian's Fox's actions would have required a lot more than a few words to earn forgiveness, but given the situation they were in coupled with her own nature, it was easy to give him a pass just this once. It certainly helped that Fox seemed far more amicable than he was before and Krystal was eager to prove she was worthwhile being on the team. She wouldn't let this small bout of drama ruin her chances.

"Your apology is accepted Fox, and I would."

Fox gave her a tired smile before turning around and heading back inside. Krystal for her part faced Miyu with a warm smile. "Thank you, I don't think this would have ended well without you."

The spotted cat nodded. "Think nothing of it, it's not me you have to impress, it's Fox. If he thinks you're worthwhile being on the team. He'll put you where he needs you."

"Preferably in a cockpit." The vixen replied. "Anyways, I best get in there. It was nice meeting you Miyu."

"Likewise, blue." The feline replied as she turned about and made her way down the hall.

"Blue?" The vixen muttered to herself before heading back inside to sit in the chair that had been left out previously. A sugary energy drink can lay empty on the table as Fox rubbed his temples slowly and muttered softly to himself in a tongue she couldn't quite understand. Several minutes passed before Fox opened his eyes and gave her a heart felt and apologetic smile.

"Okay, I'm in a better place now… where did we leave off?"

"My Psionic talents."

"Right… Right… Okay, if you don't feel like telling me right now, I understand. But I would prefer to know of them in the future when you feel more comfortable. For now, I will leave it alone."

"Thank you, Fox." She replied gracefully and bobbed her head in respect.

"Now, I don't know much about Cerinian Fighters, but we fly Arwings on Star Fox, We'll have to get one made for you… though I don't know if Fara has enough materials to spare. Not to mention I'd like to see what you're capable of in a flight sim before signing you on fully." Fox sighed and ran a paw over his face as exasperation had set in long ago.

"There's just not enough time and all the normal channels are either closed or would take too long." Fox gave a shake of his head as he decided finally. "Alright, here's how this is going to go: Abrecan trusts you, and while I trust Cerinians about as far as I can throw them, he sent you and I have to hope he has sound judgement and everyone's best interest at heart. Your telepathy will be a huge tactical and strategic boon, and you're an experienced combat pilot along with your ground experience. With the reasons you gave me about why you fight… there's really nothing more to say save for one thing."

Krystal's tail twitched at the praise, her heart had stopped as she waited for Fox's next fateful words.

"Welcome to Star Fox."

That simple phrase made Krystal practically beam with pride, while Cerinians held Star Fox in high regard due to their combat prowess and sheer tenacity; it was the fact she was going to get to join the team and be apart of efforts to save both Cerinians and Cornerians. That same explosive pride nearly had her heart bursting forth from her chest while that thick bush of a tail had begun to wave as though it had a mind of its own.

For the first time that day, Fox had a genuine smile stretch across his lips. Even if the person sitting across from him was someone he didn't want around. To see her so excited and full of life was a change of pace from what he normally saw these days. Dour faces, frowns, angst and anger with growing desperation. This alien vixen who was celebrating her acceptance to the team. Her body language exuded joy and cheer with Krystal's whiskers turned up and her ears cupped forward while her tail could politely be called a blurr waving back and forth. For lack of any other word in that moment, Fox couldn't help but find Krystal… cute.

A long awkward silence ensued as Krystal's rush of joy came down and realized the both of them had been staring rather oddly at one another before an uneasy laughter filled the space between them.

"Sorry" Both vulpines blinked in surprise as they said the exact same word simultaneously and for little or no reason at all; both started laughing outright as nerves fell away.

"Sheesh, that was weird!" Fox said as he tapped his fingers on the table, grinning like a goofy idiot. "Don't think I've done that before."

"Nor have I." Krystal replied with her own demure smile upon her lips. "Rather amusing really. Anyways. I should probably get going Fox, Admiral Abrecan and Colonel Sylvara will want to know how it turned out."

"Of course, let me see you to the door Krystal."

 _Oh now he's a gentleman._

Fox stood up and walked around the table, with his body energized somewhat from that drink; she couldn't help but notice the luster in his eyes return. There was a small amount of confidence in there that burned brightly and seemed to be growing with each passing second. She couldn't deny Fox was a handsome vulpine, with his strong noble features; athletic frame and thick plush coat. Once he cleaned up and actually got some sleep, he'd be good enough to eat.

Krystal blinked to herself as her head shook side to side.

 _Where did that come from?_

The pair arrived at the door and Fox held the knob ready to twist.

"One thing Krystal. Next time you enter my headspace like that; please, ask first if you can. If not, then do what you need to, in any circumstance I appreciate you bringing me out of that mess. But, my thoughts are my own."

The vixen clammed up as her tail went rigid as she thought her subtly had been enough. Apparently Fox was far sharper than they realized.

"O-of course Fox, I only did it…"

"Because Miyu was worried. She does that a lot. There's a reason why we call her team mom. Anyways; we'll talk more tomorrow, for now-"

"You need sleep." Krystal finished for him. "A good day or two of it."

Fox's nose wrinkled slightly from a snort. "No rest for me Krystal; I still have to make sure the rations get delivered to the ship, ammunition, fuel…." The spent vulpine went on into a list of other items before Krystal had an idea. A brilliant one if she did say so herself.

"Let me handle the logistics Fox."

The tod blinked in surprise and raised an eyebrow at his newest recruit.

"I know the ins and outs of the bureaucracy, I can get you the supplies you need much faster. You take the next couple of days off and rest. I'll get it done." She beamed, hoping to prove her worth in this capacity to her new commanding officer.

Sleep sounded so damn amazing and a couple of days off with no worries would do him a world of good.

 _What do I have to lose? If she screws me, it's on her._

Krystal almost blanched at Fox's choice of words as his thoughts weren't filtered or controlled and she could hear them clearly.

"Alright, Krystal, consider this your first assignment. I appreciate it."

"Y-yes, of course. I'll see that Miss Phoenix gets the materials and rations loaded onboard as soon as possible. See you in a couple of days then Fox."

"Thanks Krystal, I owe you."

The vixen smiled broadly as anxiety fell away when she stepped through the door; Fox McCloud _owed_ her. Oh how her friends and wingmates were going to grill her as soon as she got back to the barracks. She just knew it. Regardless of that, Krystal gave a crisp salute followed by a bow and left Fox to his own devices.

As soon as the Cerinian vixen was gone, Fox returned to his trashed quarters and flopped down on the bed. The creaky thing complained from the impact before the springs fell silent. Fatigue was close to taking him as he groaned in agitation.

 _What am I going to do? Corneria lied to me, Pepper lied to me and Corneria will starve in less than a year… So much to do, little time to rest. And that girl Krystal…_

Fox smacked his lips as if tasting the name. There was something about her that had Fox intrigued, that smile of hers had certainly caught his attention and the way her body language had been so carefree and full of joy. She had reminded him of a happier time. He missed those days before the war. The peace, the joy so many felt; but then Andross had ruined everything. Still, Fox felt something in his chest twitch as he thought of Krystal, an instinctive response to the attraction of the opposite sex. He was still a man at the end of the day and certain thoughts had begun to entertain themselves within his mind.

 _No… No Fox, you know where that leads. Both of us would get caught in that shitstorm, besides She's a teammate now, not someone to think of in that way. As lovely as she is; she's also an alien and an invader. The team would flip their shit as would most Cornerians… Then again, why do I care what Cornerians think? They only ever cared about what I could do for them and not the other way around._

Fox sighed as old prejudices reared their head. The orange tod rolled onto his side with closed eyes in hopes that sleep would take him once more and grant the time he needed to recover.


End file.
